Some general online buying advice
Hi --
I can't answer your questions about Futureshop, but they seem legit from their web site. I work for a company that works with large numbers of online retailers, and I can say that many are very, very good, and others are outright scammers. The large chains are generally honest, but may not have a high level of service, or have hidden charges (like restocking fees).
Also, if you are buying a product for use in the US from another country, make sure that the warranty is good for the US. Also, make sure the unit is equipped for US 110v electrical.
We see great reviews and ratings for shops like B&H, 17th Street, Crutchfield and similar, and frequent complaints about stores you probably haven't heard of --you can spot these by their clearly cheesy websites. We get lots of comments about poor service and restocking fees from the big consumer electronics chain stores; people are not getting scammed in these cases, just less that great service. Check services like Shopping.com, Bizrate or CNet for retailer ratings -- any pay attention to them -- they tend to be accurate.
Generally, if a product is out of stock, I would keep shopping or wait until you find it in stock. Except for very high volume, high demand products it is frequently the case that a retailer will not be able to get a unit in stock, or if they do, it might be a while.
Hope this helps!
Tom
